<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>To Reminisce by 133112</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25225696">To Reminisce</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/133112/pseuds/133112'>133112</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:08:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,159</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25225696</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/133112/pseuds/133112</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>To Reminisce</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harry was out walking around the Burrow’s untouched scenes of nature, trying to escape from the chores, the work, and most of all, Ginny.  Ginny.  He couldn’t think around her nowadays, always wondering about what he might have thrown away, tossed out like it was nothing.  As he sat down on a rock facing the pond, he closed his eyes, reminiscing about all their time together, those sweet hours of pure bliss on the grounds of Hogwarts.  </p><p>Harry and Ginny had just gotten outside to the grounds, the cool spring air seeming to be dancing around the pair.  Ginny’s face was still coloured in that classic Weasley red blush, making her look very cute in Harry’s opinion.  He reached his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into him.  She molded herself against him, and looked up, giving him a shy smile, the same one he had not seen in four years.  </p><p>“So, what exactly is going on here?” Harry asked, with hints of nervousness in his voice.  Ginny looked up at him, shock plastered on her face.   Harry realised that he hadn’t been the most tactful, and backtracked quickly.  “I mean, I like you, I was just checking, you know, to see-”.  He was unable to finish his sentence, as a smiling, petite, red-headed girl cut him off using a kiss.</p><p>“Harry,” she started, “Of course I like you back.  Now, is there anything you would like to ask me?”   He blinked, completely confused.  She gave out a loud laugh, amused at his confusion.  “You know,” Ginny said, “I bet Dean would really like this.”  Harry felt his heart’s strings of affection for Ginny being severed roughly and forcefully.  Seeing he didn’t get the hint, Ginny sighed.  “My ex-boyfriend?”  Harry felt a wave of relief.</p><p>“Oh, yeah, uh, Ginny, would you want to be my girlfriend?” he rushed out quickly, eager to hear an answer.  </p><p>“I’d love that, but I have to test you first.” she said, her eyes alight with mirth.  Harry got she was teasing, and replied in the same faith.</p><p>“And on what metric?” he retorted.  She stood on her tiptoes and whispered into his face her answer.</p><p>“Kissing.” she said, in one breath, before she set her lips upon his, and neither remembered much for a while.</p><p>Ah, those days of absolute bliss!  He had nothing to worry about, his life was perfectly fine.  But that was why it wasn’t.  It wasn’t his life.  His life would never be fine.  It couldn’t be.  Those hours were all stolen, stolen from a faceless stranger, one who would have a life with Ginny, one who didn’t have to fight Voldemort, one who didn’t have to worry about dying every day of his life.  One who could get a nice house, somewhere in the country, to raise his own with Harry’s Ginny.  Harry again thought back to those days.  Maybe, just maybe, if he spent enough time in his memories of his Gin, he would drown in them, in their pure grandeur.</p><p>Harry walked out of potions, cursing Snape’s name with vigor.  That slimy bastard!  Why did he have to punish Harry for his father’s misdeeds?  As he rushed out into the hall, not paying attention to his surroundings, he felt familiar hands wrap around his waist from behind, and his tension being released to float in the wind.</p><p>“Hey, Gin.” Harry said, relaxing as he basked in the scent of flowers coming off of her.  He turned around and gave her a light kiss.  She gave him a huge grin, radiating pure beauty.  </p><p>“Harry, what do you want to do?” she asked.  Harry was slightly confused at this question.   </p><p>“What do you mean?” he asked, running his hand through his hair.  </p><p>“Well,” his paramour started, twisting a strand of hair around her finger, making Harry go weak at the knees, “Whenever we’re together, I just start walking somewhere and you just follow with me, unless you need to get the map or the cloak.  I thought maybe you could decide today.”  Ginny said the last sentence in a nervous voice.   Harry nodded and started heading them towards the lake.  </p><p>“Why did you finish that last sentence like that, in such a scared way?” he asked the red-head, interested in all the little things about her.  She blushed and turned away for a moment.  </p><p>“I just find it fascinating that the man who I always had a huge crush on as a little girl, who I now love, likes me back.” she told Harry, as they both sat down, Harry resting his back against a tree, legs laid out, with his girlfriend strewn across his lap.  Harry froze, hearing those words.  She loved him.  Ginny Weasley loved him!  He wanted to say he loved her as well, but as soon as he looked into her eyes, his willpower crumbled, and he just smiled and stroked her hair.</p><p>“Yeah,” he said, with a sort of glazed and serene look in his eyes, “Really fascinating how things work out.”   </p><p>He should have told her.   Damn it, he really should have!  It wasn’t like he didn’t have plenty of opportunities, no, he had had many different opportunities.  Like that time in the common room…</p><p>Harry took in the scene around him.  The common room was deserted, except for him and Ginny, who had just finished studying for her charms O.W.L, afterwards using a different set of charms skills to get Harry to join her on the couch, putting his head in her lap.   They just started talking, and talking, and talking.  It was so easy to tell her everything, well, excepting one or two things, but it wasn’t hard in any fashion to spill his guts to this red-haired angel about Sirius, Voldemort, Malfoy, and how he missed his parents, parents taken away from him, just like everyone else he hung around.  She didn’t pester him with questions, like Hermione, didn’t get uncomfortable when talking about hard things, like Ron, didn’t joke and tease to help him, like the twins, or start to do everything possible for him out of pity, like Mrs. Weasley.  She just listened, and made him feel calm.   Because she knew.  She had told him what she had seen Tom do, and what he had said he would have done to her, and he had comforted her, making her feel safe and secure while she talked.  She knew how it felt to tell someone you lost your childhood, to tell them you felt unclean, to tell them you had been broken in half.  She brushed the fringe off his forehead, or at least attempted to, and gave him a kiss on the forehead.</p><p>“Harry, you need to rest, love.” Ginny told him in that soothing voice reserved for his troubles, the one he loved so much.   He smiled, and got up, walking towards the dormitory entrances with her.  </p><p>“Goodnight,” he started, trying to repeat what she had said, but he failed, finishing with “Gin.”  They kissed, and headed off in different directions.</p><p>Or that time in the astronomy tower…</p><p>Harry sat in the astronomy tower, just staring out the window.  He was softly crying, his only relief in the fact that the door had a very good lock.  Suddenly, he heard it open.  He jumped up and pulled out is wand, pointing it at the person who opened the door.  Ginny came out from under a cloak, and approached him, sitting back down as he did.  He felt her run her hands through his hair gently, lovingly.   He expected to hear her say “Harry, what’s wrong?”  But she didn’t.   And when he turned to her, it was as if she knew all his thoughts.  She gave him a small smile, and just kept calming him, letting him decide if he wanted to talk or not. </p><p>“I keep thinking about the Dursleys.” Harry confided.  “How all the time I was told I was worthless.”  He stole a glance at Ginny, seeing her angry face, wondering who t was directed at.   </p><p>“Harry James Potter, that isn’t true, and I hope you know that!  You are the greatest person in the entire world, and I love you for it.  You are a kind, funny, smart, wonderful person, and if even let them tell you otherwise I’ll snog you ‘til you agree!  You understand me?” Ginny roared at him.  Harry smiled at this, and resumed his telling her everything after giving her a quick kiss.</p><p>“I know, it’s just hard to remember, you know?  After being locked up in a cupboard for 10 years-” </p><p>“WHAT?” Ginny practically shouted to the heavens.  “They did that to you?”  Harry gave her a sad nod.  </p><p>“Yeah, but also, I mean, I couldn’t save Sirius, or Cedric, or my Parents, and I almost missed you.  Maybe if I had never existed-”  Harry never finished as Ginny snogged him senseless.   </p><p>“What did I tell you?” she demanded.  Harry grinned.</p><p>“Not to believe the Dursleys.” he answered.  </p><p>“Good.  I’m glad I’ve cured you.” she declared triumphantly as Harry laughed at her statement.  He looked into her eyes, and he saw her love for him.  He tried to say it, after all, he did, but he couldn’t, and it seemed Ginny understood that, as her face became more casual.   Harry relaxed, before making a smart comeback.</p><p>“Actually, Healer, I think I need more treatment.”  He wise-cracked.</p><p>“Well, then, I guess we can’t let you leave uncured.” Ginny said, leaning towards him.</p><p>“No, we can’t.” Harry affirmed, and that was the last thing either of them said for a while.</p><p>Or right after Dumbledore died..</p><p>Harry stared out through the window of the Gryffindor common room, a gaunt, emotionless look on his face.  Dumbledore was freshly dead, the funeral wasn’t for a good while, and the horcruxes were still all out there.  He let out a sigh, and felt another’s presence beside him.  </p><p>“I’m sorry.” Ginny said to him, following him to sit on the windowsill and cuddling into him, but in a somber, “everything will be alright” way that calmed Harry.  She rubbed her hand up and down his back, staring out with him at the sun setting.  Harry wondered how something so beautiful could be happening, and someone so beautiful could be next to him when it felt to him as if he was Atlas, and the world was crumbling apart, its debris smacking into him.  In the end, he settled on the fact that there was no good explanation, and just spent some quality time with his girlfriend.</p><p>But he hadn’t.  He hadn’t, and now he might never get to.  After all, she had a life to live, a life to have, and he?  His life was Voldemort.  Maybe he would die.  Maybe he wouldn’t.   Even if he didn’t, what would he do?  He had always said he wanted to be an Auror, but he didn’t plan on it.  He didn’t plan on anything, because they could be made irrelevant with two words and a stream of green light.  Suddenly, as had happened so many times before, he felt someone sit down next to him, whose flowery scent he recognised.  He wished he hadn’t, but at the same time, knew that was a lie.</p><p>“Harry.”</p><p>“Hello, Gin.” he morosely replied, not even looking at her.</p><p>“Tell me why you can’t take me with you.” she ordered.</p><p>“You’re underage.” he said.</p><p>“I just wouldn’t use magic.  Besides, there are wards for that.” she replied, requiring him to list why not.</p><p>“You should continue your education.”</p><p>“Are you continuing your education?” </p><p>“Your parents wouldn’t allow it.”  </p><p>“I choose the love of my life over my parents, I would any day.” she told him, pleading to come with him.</p><p>He turned to face her.  “I love you too much to let you get hurt, Gin.  You want to know why?  That’s why!”  She laughed. </p><p>“And you think Hogwarts will be safe?  Harry, we all know the ministry will fall to Voldemort any day now.  What happens when death eaters become professors?”</p><p>“That won’t happen.” </p><p>“How do you know?  Harry, do you love me?” she asked him.</p><p>He swallowed.  “Yes, I love you.”  He knew he had already said it, but that was in the heat of a fight, not laid bare.</p><p>Her eyes swelled with longing.  “Then please, consider it, just think about it, okay?” the girl asked him desperately.  He looked at her, and answered honestly.  </p><p>“I will.”  She hugged him, and gave him a kiss full of tenderness and caring.  </p><p>“I love you.” she whispered in his ear, slowly inching away.  He stopped her, and looked her in the eyes.  </p><p>“I love you too.”  He let her go, and watched her walk away, knowing she felt as hurt as he about him having to go.  Clearing all his thoughts, he looked back to the pond, wanting to think of nothing for just a few minutes. </p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>